Unexpected Success
by Runonaseerxx
Summary: Dragged to a foreign land to be married of to a hanyou Prince that hates her guts, Princess Kagome finds herself having to fend off jealous nobles, amorous wolf demons, and her meddling friends- all for a man she despises. However, when she becomes the target of a political plot to send both kingdoms into disarray, Kagome finds that having Inuyasha there isn't the worst thing.
1. A Princesses Plight

**_Unexpected Success_**

I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters or locations.

 **A Princesses' Plight**

Long ago, in a kingdom far away there lived a king and queen who had greatly longed for a child, but for unknown reasons were unable to conceive. Until one day, the kingdom was graced with a miracle and a baby girl was born. With flowing black hair and eyes that—

Sigh, this was getting boring. _Not to mention, it was taking too long,_ thought Kagome. Despite the fact that it had only been an hour since they had departed from the familiar shores of her home—and only five minutes since she had begun narrating to herself how she had gotten here—Kagome could already feel a sense of dread making its way from her stomach up her gullet.

"It could just be seasickness, or do you not suffer from that anymore, Princess?" piped a mildly amused voice. Lost in thought, Kagome was surprised to have received a response to her inner musings and decided it was only polite to answer. After all what kind of Princess would she be if she left the voice in her head hanging?

"God, is that you?" It seemed a fairly logical question seeing as she had not said anything out loud in the past half hour. Admittedly God was more feminine than Kagome had expected.

"Very funny, Your Highness, but faking delusions won't save you from this anymore than faking seasickness. And for your information, nothing you've said so far has been 'in your head'. In fact, you're lucky that I was the only one who heard your blabbing", spoke the dark haired girl. Kagome released an exasperated groan in return, having turned around from her position over the rails on the side of the boat just in time to see Sango forming air quotes with her fingers and looking at Kagome with an expression that bordered between amusement and its-too-hot-for-this.

Lady Sango, daughter of the Lord of Takai, was a tall, slim and impeccably sharp-witted woman who had been best friends with Kagome since she had débuted into upper society just over four years ago. Being a few years older, and thus wiser, Sango had helped the then young Princess find her bearings among the opportunistic and cunning bastards who had been clamoring for her attention. Though beautiful and well-bred, Sango had a cool ferocity about her that Kagome absolutely loved; the woman could kick ass and took shit from no one, a fact that wasn't always appreciated by potential suitors.

Sango too didn't say anything for a moment, when she saw the Princess' eyes glaze over she knew that her friend had become lost in thought. Instead of piercing her dream bubble with a sarcastic and teasing comment like any good friend would, Sango took the opportunity to sweep a quick look over the raven haired female.

Pale and sweet, with luscious lips and delectable curves, Princess Kagome was the subject of every man's naughty fantasies- at least that's what two members of the ship's crew thought. You know, until Sango ensured that they never _thought_ about Kagome again.

However, as the demon slayer looked her over, Kagome looked anything but delectable right now. Hunched over the ship's rails with gaunt skin and a vaguely dazed expression, one would have thought the Princess a victim of seasickness, a beautiful victim, but a sufferer none the less. _Of course if you consider why she's like this, it's understandable that she isn't quite at her best right now_ , mused Sango just as the Princess threw her head back over the rail to let loose a violent scream.

"This is so unfair!" shrieked the raven haired beauty, the fire that had been lost since she boarded the ship now returning to her eyes. With the ferocity of a snake demon, Kagome whipped around and declared that she was done moping, which Sango knew to mean that she was now going to start snapping at everyone—still it was better than watching your friend wither away into a husk.

Kagome was furious! No, furious had been the case when her mother had promptly informed her a month ago to pack her things i.e. tell the maids to pack her things, because they were going out on this stupid… she didn't even know what to call it. She certainly wasn't going to use the same phrase her mother had: 'visiting friends'. She considered it a disgrace to decency to put 'friends' and that monster in the same general area of meaning.

And Kagome planned on telling her mother as much as she stalked through the ship's inner cabins towards the lower deck, Sango hot on her heels (partially to calm Kagome if need be, but mostly for the entertainment value), she knew she would find her mother pouring over official documents or letters from royals and dignitaries.

A brief flash of guilt hit Kagome and her stride faltered, after all her mother was working even now despite her recent decline in health, so was it ungrateful of Kagome to further burden her with complaints?

 _No. I have to try._ She deserved as much as a say in where she went and for what purpose, and the chance to save herself. Dramatic yes, but she was a seventeen year old girl and right now desperation and anger trumped guilt and rational thought.

 _Sango's a girl and she doesn't act like this._

 _Yes, and Sango also isn't being forced to do what I am, otherwise I'm sure she would have made a fuss as well._

As Kagome marched through the halls in search of her mother, her mind had begun to wander to the weeks preceding up to this moment. Oh, she wasn't talking about packing and asking everyone around the castle what sort of souvenir they would like. The Princess had done everything in her power to prevent this voyage from taking place.

She had started small, a little begging and pleading here and there, but when it became apparent that the Queen had no intention of changing her plans through simple talk Kagome had tried switching up her game. From buttering her mother up to feigning illness and injury, Kagome had employed all the persuasion methods she had. She had even gone on hunger strike for a week until her dearest guardian would agree to cancel the trip, but after raising two children and running a kingdom it seemed the Queen's patience was an everlasting well.

It wasn't until Kagome had climbed to the roof of the tallest spiral in the castle—a last last last resort—that her mother had lost her patience and told her daughter in no uncertain terms that this trip, and everything it entailed, would be happening as per plan.

It was times like these that warned everyone that Queen Higurashi was not to be tested.

Xxx

Sango tapped her foot and counted the amount of times the boat had rocked within the last fifteen minutes that Kagome was _discussing_ things with her mother. She was up to nearly two hundred when the door opened with a boom and crashed into the wall behind it with a bang. It was amazing the thing had not fallen off its hinges, but Sango found that she didn't have adequate time to ponder the structural integrity of the door when her best friend stalked out of said open door and walked away without sparing her a second glance.

Keeping a good three or so foot distance, the demon slayer tactfully avoided asking about what happened- she had heard everything through the wood walls as it was—an instead informed Kagome that they were closing in on their destination.

Unfortunately, this seemed to have the opposite effect as intended, and her-friend-the-snake-demoness whirled around and struck Sango with a glare so intense that it would have fell a lesser man.

Luckily for Sango, she was no man.

After another hour or so of hearing Kagome recount every excruciating summer spent at their current destination, Sango was sure she had heard both the royal escort and ship crew breathe a collective sigh of relief when a call went up announcing their approach to Inutaisho's Kingdom.

At that point, so much of the ships populace had moved to the port side to get a better view of the land mass that Kagome was surprised that the ship didn't tip from the weight. Ironically enough, Kagome found that she too was one of the idiots craning to see the magnificence of the Demon Kingdom.

While not strictly for demons at all, Inutaisho's kingdom had always been the land with the highest demonic population. If approached from a politically minded perspective, Kagome supposed that demons would choose to move there to be among their own kind—a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts, with every demon moving to be with other demons causing an increase in their numbers.

Similarly, it could be that demons appreciated the unusual structure of the government more than humans. Inutaisho, who had come to face various forms of opposition during his initial efforts to unite the feuding demon tribes into one kingdom, had since decided to impose a pyramidal government where each demon—or human for that matter—was capable of moving up the ranks if they so deserved. Inutaisho may have ruled the entire country, but the land was systematically divided into four provinces: West, North, East and South.

Personally, Kagome thought that the naming wasn't very original, but whatever. It wasn't her kingdom.

Each of the provinces was in turn governed by the leader of the predominant clan that ruled over that particular territory. The Dog King himself would in turn preside over all four leaders, directly ruling from the center of the Kingdom.

"It's a breathtaking sight, isn't it?' Kagome whirled around to catch sight of the men and women parting like the Red Sea to make way for her mother. Turning back towards the shore just as her mother came to stand beside her, eyes fixed straight ahead, Kagome found that some questions did not need answering.

Raking her gaze over the glittering sea as it met solid shore at the foot of a boisterous port town, Kagome felt a strange tugging sensation at the pit of her stomach. In a curious way, she had actually missed this place.

Well, she had missed some parts of this place, such as the sprawling hills and impossibly tall mountains and how demons and humans seem to get along so effortlessly here.

 _Some demons and humans anyways_ , piped that pesky inner voice.

No, Kagome wanted to say, it's just one demon I don't get along with. And that was exactly the demon they were going to chain her to.


	2. To a Hanyou's Horror

_**Unexpected Success**_

I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters or locations.

 **To a Hanyou's Horror**

Inuyasha's feet pounded the cold stone floor, his powerful strides causing an almost undetectable shiver in the solid structure of the tower. His pointed dog-like ears had been twitching since even before he had begun his walk around the room, a clear sign of agitation to anyone who knew the Prince.

He could smell her. Not just that, he could _feel_ her presence encroach on his mind like an insect creeping slowly closer. Just then he had noticed his claws had slightly enlarged, as though preparing to slash something. In fact, that sounded like a pretty good idea, maybe he could pick a fight with a wild demon or even—

"Inuyasha, please stop pacing. You're creating a draft", chided his best friend with his eyes closed, legs crossed and a single hand placed directly in front of him. Despite being a solider—a General in the Royal Army for that matter—Miroku had chosen to retain the clothing and air of the monks that had raised him.

Of course, anyone who was familiar with the man knew that his persona was in no way a reflection of his beliefs, rather it was a convenient way to trick people and ask women to bear his children.

"And don't even consider leaving the Palace, you heard what your father said this morning", murmured Miroku as he got up from his place on the ground and began walking towards Inuyasha.

Although the words had been spoken softly he was confident that the dog prince, who by this point had begun staring out the window, had heard him clearly. It was a well-known fact that only Inutaisho could elicit any sort of obedience out of either of his sons.

Inuyasha, too, knew that disobeying his father in any way, shape or form would result in painful consequences, but that didn't mean he wouldn't consider it. Staring out of the window, he was graced with an impressive view of the Palace, with its spiraling towers and imposing walls, most of which he had spent his youth climbing—whether in fun or to sneak out to party.

This was his childhood home, the place he was born and raised in, yet as he felt that suffocatingly pure aura inch closer there was nothing he wanted more than to run and not come back till summer had ended.

Xxx

Inutaisho and his Council of Demons stood in the inner courtyard of the Palace, waiting with baited breath for the arrival of Kagome Higurashi. A buzz of anticipation was traveling through the assembly as though it was a living being and causing the hairs on the King's arms to stand on end. Taking a sideways glance at his heir, it was clear that Inuyasha was similarly affected, though not entirely in the best way. Inutaisho knew exactly why his son seemed so morose and also why the rest of the crowd seemed so excited.

After all, it was the first time that they would be receiving this particular pair of guests in a long time. The Queen and her daughter had not visited for some years now, ever since the passing of the King and subsequent unrest that had followed within their kingdom. However, within that time a fair amount of rumors had reached his kingdom about the Princess Kagome. About how there was no woman alive—demon or human—that could match her beauty, or her temper. Clearly, the crowd was quite eager to estimate the legitimacy of the claims made about the once small, stocky girl that had threatened to toss Inuyasha down a well at the ripe age of twelve.

 _What's it been now? Four five years?_ He thought as the faint outline of a carriage being guided by a well-armed escort came into view. However, it was clear that aside from himself and his son, everyone had yet to catch wind of the approaching assembly. Sensing unrest to his right, Inutaisho angled his head to see Inuyasha's pupils dilated and his abundant muscles bunched, as though he was preparing to run. Though whether he wanted to run away from the approaching carriage or to it, the King did not know.

God, that scent! That awful yet f***ing amazing scent. He had no idea where it was coming from or what it was, but it seemed to wrap around him, slowly moving into him until he couldn't smell, hear or feel anything else.

He wanted to run. He wanted to take to a sprint and follow that scent to wherever it was coming from. Too bad even his nose couldn't tell which direction to follow, the damn smell was everywhere.

Besides, Inuyasha didn't want to imagine what his father would do to him if he suddenly bolted.

"They've arrived", Inuyasha felt a hand on his left shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts to see that the once far off carriage was now at the threshold of the Castle gates.

Looking back to where the hand came from, Inuyasha expected to find Miroku grinning at him in that annoyingly smug way that de did whenever Kagome was mentioned. Instead the monk was staring at the vehicle from which the guards were removing luggage with a look of pure seriousness. No doubt Miroku was just as excited about seeing the new and-possibly-more-beautiful-Princess (imagine, Kagome _beautiful_ , yeah right) step out of the carriage.

Seeing that Lady Higurashi had only just stepped out and was now being greeted by his father, the hanyou figured he had a minute to tease his friend. "Hey Miroku, what's th"— There it was! That scent again, but stronger this time.

Inuyasha veered suddenly towards the carriage, just in time to catch the emergence of a dainty foot followed by—Holy F**k!

She had filled out. But it had only been four years. Inuyasha was well aware that humans had a faster aging cycle than most demons but even then, there was no way that that girt could have gone from being shapeless and stocky to having _curves_ , in such a short time.

Caching the faintest scent of arousal wafting from behind him, Inuyasha was prepared to find Miroku with his jaw dropped open. What he didn't expect though, was the jaws of every male member of the assembly—demons and humans alike—being two inches from touching the ground.

Angry at every male for thinking like that and angry at the little chit for looking the way she did, the prince was already in a bad mood when his father had begun to beckon him over to the three women standing near him. Strange, Inuyasha had been so caught up in…in…in planning an escape route that he hadn't noticed the descent of a third female from the carriage.

Lithe yet muscular, Inuyasha could tell that the girl was from a noble house, but the way she was dressed coupled with the way she carried herself gave away to Inuyasha that this was someone who had been trained in the art of combat—much like himself and Miroku.

As he walked towards the small party, the prince's mind couldn't help but wander towards the three female's choice of dress. In his opinion, Kagome's kingdom always had the strangest clothing. Whilst his people wore traditional kimonos and yukatas, her culture consisted of small, tight clothes made of lighter fabrics. Aside from the Queen—whom Inuyasha assumed had changed into formal wear sometime before arriving in order to look presentable in front of the Council—they all wore cloths they must have considered comfortable for traveling.

Of course, thinking about Kagome's clothes did not come without consequences as his predominantly teenage mind had led him to thinking about what was under those clothes, which I turn led to—No, no, he wasn't going to let it get that far.

Without realizing his feet had come to a stop of their own accord and he was now standing in front of their guests, plus the Princess. Greeting the Queen first as was custom, Inuyasha tried desperately to dispel the image of Kagome's shapely body from his mind. So by the time he reached the Princess, the only words that came out of his mouth were,

"Keh, you've gotten fat, Princess".

She did not appreciate that. Ah, the beginning of another beautiful summer.


	3. A Royal's Return

_**Unexpected Success**_

I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters or locations.

 **A Royal's Return**

How dare he! How dare that pathetic, drooling, dog faced, no good—

The general assembly had been watching Princess Kagome, fully expecting the dark haired female to produce a sword and impale Inuyasha, as her face colored a vivid yet not unseemly shade of red.

"My dear Inuyasha. I see you haven't lost any of your charms". Kagome swiveled around to see her mother sporting a caring and placating smile towards the young demon, and immediately felt her anger deflate into an emotion she had not felt for some years now. To her side, the Princess could see that Sango—who had never before seen the Queen interact with Inuyasha—was slightly shocked at how easily Lady Higurashi had dismissed the hanyou's frankly rude remark towards her friend.

 _It's not unusual_ , Kagome wanted to tell her. _She always takes his side_. Ever since she and Inuyasha were young, her mother had seemed to love the boy, believe everything he said and forgive him far more easily than she did her own daughter. But just like all the other times, Kagome chose to repress these thoughts, simply telling herself that she was over analyzing the situation.

Sango, however, remained shocked and surprised at the Queen's flippant attitude towards Inuyasha's insult. While it wasn't as though she expected the Queen to declare war over such a petty and immature comment, she felt it was at least warranted to tell the Prince that it was unseemly for someone of his station to behave this way towards a guest. Although as she glanced to her right, she felt as though an admonishment was headed in the dog demon's way from a different direction.

Snapping from her downbeat thoughts, Kagome couldn't help but feel a perverse sense of pleasure as she saw the glower that King Inutaisho had pinned on his son. Just as her own mother seemed to favor her hated foe in their battles, the King would always staunchly support Kagome. It was a strange dynamic she supposed, but a level one. However, as Miroku had approached them and they had all begun moving towards the Central Hall of the Palace, Kagome couldn't help but want to pay Inuyasha back for his remark. In truth, there was nothing wrong with being plump or not conforming to societies superficial thoughts on how a woman should look, but the Princess did not appreciate the sentiment behind the comment—and she was a big believer in tit for tat.

Miroku watched, confused, as Kagome stopped dead in her tracks, allowing the distance between her and Inuyasha to be no more than a few steps. He then watched, fascinated, as she reached upwards… and stroked his ears! He could then no longer watch, doubled over in laughter, as she spoke, "Hmm. They were a lot softer before. You should take better care of them, Inuyasha. After all, they're the only part of you a woman's ever going to want to touch".

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. It was on.

Xxx

Kagome critically surveyed herself in the mirror. She had blanched earlier in the afternoon when she had been escorted up to her suite after the incident in the courtyard (forevermore to be known as the Fat-Ear Debacle), only to find a piercing red dress laid out on her bed.

A deep blood red, the dress was made of a smooth almost airy fabric, and flared out generously after hugging her hips in just the right way. A tight halter style neckline gave her a delicate and proper appearance but accentuated her chest enough to make it known that she was now a full grown woman. The bodice was encrusted with diamonds, giving her an ethereal glow as they reflected the light, and saved her the pain of wearing jewelry.

"I hate it. It's tight and heavy and itchy", she complained as Sango finished applying the lightest touch of makeup to her face. All in all, she thought she looked pretty good, but there was no way she was going to show it.

"Don't be silly Kagome. You look radiant, and you should wear the colors of our flag with pride tonight", spoke Lady Higurashi as she came to stand beside her daughter, dressed in a simpler but equally beautiful gown. Standing next to her mother, Kagome was struck by the differences in their appearance. While she had always been told that she resembled her mother more than her father, in this moment she could find nothing similar about them at all; the Queen appeared worn and wise as though she had seen and experienced all the joys and hardships the world had to offer, while in contrast, Kagome's eyes were bright and inquisitive. The look of a woman about to begin her life and face the world.

Continuing to stare at the mirror, Kagome waited for her mother to leave her room before expressing to Sango how she thought the color of the dress had less to do with the flag and more to do with it being the Prince's favorite color. "And so what if it does? It doesn't change the fact that you look sexy. All those nobles at the ball won't know what hit them." Sango was right. She was going to make an entrance, not with the Prince or her mother in mind, but knowing that she was the future Queen of her kingdom and thus, had to be as shrewd and beautiful and diplomatic as she could. A running gaze over her friend told Kagome that the older girl was going to be attracting her fair share of attention as well.

Making up her mind about precisely how she was going to conduct herself throughout the night: with grace and dignity of course, the two females made their way out of the private suite and towards the sound of music and revelry and _battle_.

Xxx

Inuyasha's ears twitched as the violinist dew out a particularly high pitched note to signify the end of the waltz. After spending the majority of his life attending some ball or party or other event, he had become quite experienced at blocking out annoying sounds, but sometimes he couldn't help but cringe at an unpleasant cadence. Casting a quick look over his immediate vicinity, Inuyasha wanted to make sure that no one had seen. Times like these he wished that he could be like his father, or even his annoying older brother, who seemed to never be phased no matter what came their way—namely excessively shrill notes from lousy musicians.

Too immersed in his own thoughts, Inuyasha had been unaware that his eyes had been taking in the entire ballroom. He was struck with the most imbalanced scene. A strange mix of demons and humans, people from both his and Kagome's kingdoms, as well as others. He found himself intrigued by the odd matching of people in dresses, kimonos, and other ceremonial garb. A pleasant coalescence of multiple cultures.

Right then, he noticed a group of pretty noble girls giggling and staring at him, obviously trying to catch his attention. Sparing them the slightest of smirks—which they seemed to take as a blessing from God—Inuyasha wondered, not for the first time, why his father had insisted on marrying him to a girl that did not want to be with him as much as he didn't want to be with her. Sure Kagome was a Princess, but there were plenty of those just in this room. Inuyasha couldn't think of anything, her beauty, her money, her kingdom, that couldn't be found in a more willing bride. _Not that I'm in any hurry to get hitched to one of those idiots_ , he thought as he noticed the same group of girls had now inched closer and were whispering furiously amongst themselves.

Choosing to ignore them, Inuyasha flashed back to some many years ago, during one of his brother's rare visits, when he had approached the older demon and asked him the very questions he had asked himself just moments ago. Why her? What was so special about her? Did father think he would be so unable to find a woman to marry that he had engaged him from childhood? In response, he was met only with one of Sesshomaru's cryptic remarks, "Do not question Inuyasha. I am sure that Father has his reasons, you simply do not know them."

"Inuyasha, my friend. Why are you sitting here all alone when there is a room full of beautiful women who would rush to please at your every beck and call? You're in the prime of your life, I suggest you enjoy it while you can." Spoke Miroku as he leisurely plopped into the seat next to the hanyou's and waved merrily to his dance partner of just a moment ago.

"Keh, my prime is gonna last for at least a few hundred years, so I'm in no rush", he scoffed. It was true; Inuyasha's half demon status ensured that once he turned twenty he would no longer age at the pace of a human, and instead, live for a millennia. Miroku gave a long sigh, signifying to Inuyasha that he was about to get philosophical. "Time is a precious commodity, my partially canine friend. It doesn't matter how much of it you have, you should never waste it, because in the end its still isn't going to be enough."

Sadly for the monk, the Prince had stopped listening at 'canine' and was instead transfixed by the vision at the entrance to the Hall.

Xxx

Kagome felt her spine prickle as a feeling of anticipation, combined with fear and nerves, traveled up her back to her head and made her feel lightheaded. Feeling a small kick to her shin from Sango, the raven haired female straightened and began to walk down the steps, all the while praying that she didn't trip on her dress. _We wouldn't want to end up flashing the crowd as soon as we enter after all. No, that was going to be the finale_. A smile crept up to Kagome's face at her own little witty comment. Who needed a husband when you were your own source of joy?

"Whether you need one or not is a debate for another time. Right now you need to be the model Royal. And maybe later we can work on not thinking out loud." She heard Sango whisper, the last part with more amusement than the rest, but reminding Kagome of her primary purpose.

Landing a concealed look of critical assessment over the crowd, Kagome's mind immediately registered a multitude of familiar and unfamiliar faces. Her own family and friends, Inutaisho and his Council, and various nobles she had become acquainted with since being presented into society—they all looked at her with pride and encouragement. Of the unfamiliar faces, there seemed to be a sense of indecision as to what to think of her, and among them were sprinkled those who were determined to dislike her. As she descended the last of the steps, she was prepared for the gasps and whispered that greeted the return of a royal to Inutaisho's Land.

" _Look, it's the Princess Kagome. She is so different from what I imagined. Where do you think she has been for so long?"_

" _I heard that she found a dark priestess to cast a spell on her to keep her young and beautiful forever."_

" _I heard that she's been in the Wolf Demon Lands, shacking up with their Prince."_

" _I heard that she reads books…For Fun!"_

Kagome couldn't help but release a giggle at the gasps of disbelief and indignation that went up at the last comment. She may not have Inuyasha's hearing, but she didn't need it since these people were even worse at whispering than she was.

However all thoughts of her fans vanished when she noticed four figures approaching her and Sango to where they stood at the foot of the grand staircase.


	4. An Unintentional Rescue

_**Unexpected Success**_

I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters or locations.

 **An Unintentional Rescue**

Inuyasha reclined further in his seat, his neck craned to ensure that he would be able to see Kagome regardless of the small circle that had placed itself around her, effectively obstructing his previous line of sight. He, along with a large part of the room, had watched as King Inutaisho and Queen Higurashi had approached the Princess with two men trailing behind them.

The first was someone Inuyasha was very familiar with: Myoga, a demon in his father's Council that acted both as an adviser to the King, and a retainer to the Prince himself when he had first been brought to live in the Palace. Of course, in Inuyasha's opinion, the demon was no more than a cowardly flea that was a bit too enthusiastic about female bodies, but even he couldn't deny that the old man was knowledgeable about many matters concerning both history and politics. Also Inuyasha found punching him to be an immensely enjoyable experience. The second man, on the other hand, he knew very little about. Known to be a general or captain of some sort, the dark haired man was from Kagome's kingdom and would accompany the Royal family on all of their previous visits. _Keh, the only reason I know he exists is that Miroku is jealous of him_ , he scoffed.

Indeed, the young monk could be seen glowering at the man—perhaps his name was Kisuke—from where he sat, his expression nearly mirroring the one Inuyasha wore only minutes ago. Recalling how the man was even better at attracting women than Miroku, despite seeming to be not interested in them, the Prince suddenly felt his lips quirk up in amusement.

 _But what are they all talking about?_ It was clearly an odd scene, all of them gathered together in a tight huddle, and Inuyasha found that curiosity had begun to eat at him. Straining his ears, he attempted to eavesdrop on their discussion, but even his hearing could only pick up snippets over the din of the party crowd.

"Security arrangements… seemed too obvious… turns out… there was a pebble in my shoe…"

"… to place additional guards along the outer perimeter… in case of emergency… keep you safe."

"That doesn't seem logical… studied guard positions and shift changes… better to change posts and routes than simply increase numbers."

Although he had no idea what they were talking about he could piece the general discussion out from context. Clearly, there was some kind of security issue—that often happened at large scale high society events such as this. What had really surprised him, though, was the fact that his father had neglected to say anything to him and had instead included Kagome in the conversation. Inuyasha checked his gut to see if he could scrounge up any feelings of anger or resentment, but any trace he did find was overwhelmed by the greater feeling of surprise brought out by Kagome. The last comment had come from her, and being a trained solider he could appreciate the logic behind her words; under the unlikely circumstance that anyone would be stupid enough to try entering the palace premises, they would need to have done sufficient research beforehand. Memorizing guard stations and security routines would be necessary in order to infiltrate such a heavily guarded area, and should those details suddenly change the very night of the heist… Let's just say that any criminal worth their salt would know to cut and run.

Looking back towards the group, the Prince found that the small circle had since dissipated, all of them likely going their separate ways to mingle or deal with whatever threat was looming. However, Inuyasha found himself unable to let go of his need to be in the know and leaned casually towards Miroku, "Hey monk. Did my father say anything to you about additional security for the ball?" Being a general, it was part of Miroku's job to be well informed about security conditions within the castle.

Miroku, for his part, hadn't the faintest as to why his friend was suddenly inquiring about such matters. Surely the hanyou couldn't be that bored. But the tone of his voice and hard contours of his face compelled the pony tailed man to answer with equal seriousness.

Xxx

Sango watched from the other side of the ballroom as the tall man next to the Prince slowly got up from his seat, and then proceeded out the nearest exit with a profound sense of purpose in his step. She briefly wondered if it had to do with whatever the King had been so eager to inform Kagome of. The demon slayer had caught sight of the approaching group almost immediately after she and Kagome had descended the flight of stairs. By the noticeably anxious looks on each of their faces—and a discreet indication from the Queen—Sango had made a hasty exit from the ensuing discussion, delaying only long enough to give her friend's hand a supportive squeeze.

She had then meandered her way through the large crowd, occasionally stopping to speak to anyone who sought her attention, and pointedly ignoring the large niches along the expanse of the ballroom that housed all the deadbeats, rakes and desperate husband hunters. As she engaged in conversation with an older gentleman who was acquainted with her father, Sango's gaze simultaneously swept the ginormous hall while the young woman inside her eagerly took in the elegant décor and sophisticated ambiance.

She recalled a conversation she had once had with her father as a young girl, during one of her lessons in history. He had remarked on how Inutaisho, upon being crowned King, had neglected to construct a Palace in the traditional style of the demon kingdom with wood and intricate arrangements of walls and paths. He had instead created a fortress made completely of stone and metal, with its spirals and towers being more reminiscent of Kingdoms from across the seas. "A display of power", Kagome had once said and Sango knew exactly what she meant. By creating a stronghold unlike any other in the land, made from rare materials and exuding a kind of terrifying beauty and elegance not normally seen by the people of his land, the silver haired King had made a statement of his wealth, influence and power that would remain for centuries to come.

 _And speaking of silver hair_ , she thought just as her eyes landed on an Inuyasha with an unusually somber expression on his face. Sango briefly considered whether the prince was truly the same as Kagome had described. During the years of listening to her fantastical stories about his temper, overbearing attitude and sheer rudeness, Sango had come to the conclusion that her closest friend may have been exaggerating a bit. While she knew that Kagome would never purposefully embellish a story in an effort to garner sympathy—mostly due to her dislike for appearing weak- the dark haired royal did have the innate ability to make everything sound a bit dramatic. Surely the Prince couldn't be that bad, if the hordes of women falling at his feet was any indication.

As the lithe young woman traversed the length of the ballroom, she could tell from the slight stiffening of Inuyasha's physique that the hanyou had seen, or at the very least smelt, her approach. However it was not until she stood only a few feet away that Sango chose to speak.

"Good evening, Your Highness."

Inuyasha stood to greet the female standing before him; his nose had pick up a vaguely familiar scent only moments prior, effectively drawing him out of his contemplative thoughts. "Good evening, Lady Sango. I trust you are enjoying the party?"

The hanyou vaguely recalled his thoughts from earlier that day, from the minute that the three women has stepped off of the carriage that had brought them to his palace, he could tell that Kagome's friend was not simply a gently bred daughter of nobility but a fierce warrior as well. Sango, too, stood slightly on edge. Given her heritage, being this close to a demon as powerful as Inuyasha caused her defensive instincts to bare to the surface. As the hanyou's gaze bore into hers- it was clear that the half-demon sensed her unease—she searched her mind for the best possible route to gain the information she desired, only to recall something that Kagome had once told her.

" _Probably the only good thing about that sadistic puppy is that he doesn't resort to senseless mind games. He appreciates it when people are straight with him, because he'll always be straight with them; there's no pretending with Inuyasha."_

As she noticed Inuyasha's gaze travel up and down her body, not in any lecherous or condescending manner but simply as though he was trying to figure out exactly what she was, Sango decided to follow that little voice in her head that sounded exactly like her insane friend. She decided to be straight.

"In case you're wondering, I am the daughter of a Duke but my family line traces back to the demon slayers of old. And yes, I can fight. I've also heard some pretty terrible things about you and am curious as to how true they might be." For a split second Sango's entire body froze, and her muscles prepared for fight or flight until she realized that the fangs on display were not a sigh of aggression but that the Prince's expression of practiced formality had transformed into a smirk.

With an amused glint in his eyes, the hanyou spoke with humor in his voice, "Demon slaying, huh. Not exactly a flourishing market." Of course the trafficking and smuggling of demons was still done, but Inuyasha doubted that her family had any part of that action. True demon slayers operated by a code of conduct.

"It may not be profitable any longer, but that does not mean it isn't important." The woman's cat like eyes narrowed even further, but the hanyou prince couldn't help but want to stoke that fire behind her eyes. After an entire evening of mindless chatter and unnecessary formality, Inuyasha was dying for a good battle—even if it was only a battle of wits. "Seems pretty pointless to me."

Sango had been waiting for such a response. "Tell me this your Highness, you get served seven course meals every day and yet you still learn to hunt." She got him there. Inuyasha still remembered the first time his father had taken him into the woods, miles away from the castle with no weapons or provisions, and told him to survive with nothing but his fangs and claws. When the young boy had questioned the need for such activities, they weren't wild demons after all, he had received a sharp look and a few curt words.

" _Circumstances will constantly change, but certain things stay the same. These are the things that make us who we are."_

Inuyasha shared a knowing look with Kagome's companion, much as a tiger and wolf would meet in the jungle, they acknowledged each other's power and around them hung an air of mutual respect. If nothing else, at least Kagome had good taste in friends.

Xxx

They had changed.

Or, at least, they were changing.

He had watched, first from his position atop the hill and now from his perch on a high branch, as bodies rushed about in the dark. Heavily armored and carrying torches, it was clear that they were all soldiers—the palace guards he had been observing for quite some time. It was a pity that none of them were beautiful enough to be observed with any interest. However, he had more important matters at hand to think about.

It was fortunate that his method of infiltrating the Dog King's palace was not reliant on any such bypassing of security. If it had, he may have had to bolt, and that would have made a certain someone very unhappy.

 _Oh well_ , he thought, _time to get to work_.

Xxx

"Ah, Inuutasa, you reallzy are- hic- one ob the mossd handsome - hic—I know", slurred the dark haired man, leaning heavily on said handsome man's shoulder.

"Damn it, Miroku. How come I have to be the one to haul your drunk ass back to your room every time?" Tired and worn, the already unhappy hanyou was becoming increasingly more so as the night progressed. Sure, it had become routine by now. Whenever there would be a celebration of any kind, the stupid monk would drink too much, and then proceed to flirt with every woman his lecherous eyes would land on. The aforementioned flirting would then lead so some kind of fallout—whether it was with a husband, a suitor, or even the lady herself-, leaving Inuyasha to step in and attempt to diffuse the situation.

 _But it was worth it this time,_ he thought, as an unintentional but appropriate snicker slipped out. Thinking back, it was a rather absurd situation.

 _Inuyasha held Sango's gaze for a moment, and just as he prepared to release an appropriately sarcastic and witty reply, his keen senses honed onto the entrance at the far side of the ballroom. Walking their way with a somber expression and quicker-than-necessary stride, the hanyou's body immediately grew tense as he waited for Miroku to reach the table._

" _And?" He asked, once his friend had reached his side._

 _However, instead of answering, the dark haired man simply extended a sideways glance towards Sango, implying that whatever the general had to say was for Inuyasha's ears only. That wasn't good._

 _Sango, for her part, had remained silent for the duration that Miroku had been approaching her and the prince, choosing instead to keenly observe the silent interactions between the two men. It wasn't until the taller man had gestured for her to leave that the demon slayer decided to voice her thoughts._

" _If this is about Kagome—which I think it is—then I believe I have the right to be privy to this conversation." And she did. For what most people did not know, was that only months after Kagome and Sango had become good friends, the slayer had been summoned by the Queen, and for the last four years had served as the princess' bodyguard without the younger girl's knowledge. Therefore if something, or someone, was endangering Kagome, Sango was required to know about it._

 _Miroku watched the young woman for a moment, as she seemed to wage an internal battle of some kind. He assumed it was whether or not to tell us why a noble woman, and friend to the princess, had any interest in palace security details. However, as the moments dragged on, the solider in him gave way to the man, and he could not help but notice how deep and soulful her eyes were. Different from most women he knew, they showcased a certain extent of pain and suffering, but strength and wisdom as well. Like velvet over steel. And speaking of velvet…_

 _Inuyasha swerved his head, startled, as Sango—in a more feminine voice than he thought possible—let out a shriek, and, yelling "Pervert!" proceeded to leave a bright red hand print on Miroku's cheek. While the outburst did turn a few heads, most of the assembly simply gazed on with pity and mild amusement. By that point, everyone had a good idea of what had prompted the scream and subsequent slap._

 _The half demon released a long suffering sigh as he watched Miroku's hand twitch as Sango yelled at him. He never did learn what information Miroku had._

 _And now the damn bastards too drunk to tell me,_ Inuyasha grumbled. Putting an end to his reminiscence, the prince unceremoniously dropped his friend on the bed. Having fallen asleep halfway through the flashback, Inuyasha knew that trying to wake the sleeping man now would get him nothing. After depositing a glass of water on the night stand, the hanyou began the walk towards the other side of the castle, where his own bedchamber was located.

Now that he had a moment alone—truly _alone_ – he found himself reflecting back on what was perhaps the most significant part of his evening. The Sango-Miroku incident did not count as significant. That was just the lecherous monk being… well, the lecherous monk. It was in those fleeting moments of silence where both his immediate companions seemed to be lost in thought that Inuyasha's nose picked up the faintest trace of a scent. One that he could only associate with Kagome. One that made him lose all rational thought (not that he had many rational thoughts to begin with, mind you).

 _He slowly turned his head towards the source of the scent, his body instantly becoming ridged._

 _There she was._

 _Almost directly across him, she stood with her back facing his direction but he knew for certain that it was her thanks, in no small part, to the rich crimson dress she wore. Deciding that this was a rare opportunity to study her without being reprimanded for staring, Inuyasha allowed his eyes to briefly carry over her form. It really was astonishing to what degree her outward features had *coughcough* evolved. It still bemused him, honestly, how humans could change to such a degree in such little time. What had once been round and pudgy was now slender and curvaceous._

 _Oddly enough, Inuyasha found his gaze being specifically drawn to her neck. Under normal circumstances, Kagome had the tendency to leave her hair open, allowing it to fall past her shoulders and drape over her back, so it wasn't often that the hanyou could view the pale smooth slope that she kept hidden from view. It was a smart measure—whether conscious or not—to cover her neck, as most demons considered it an optimal place to mark a woman. The primal demonic part of him could envision sinking his fangs into the milky softness. And that dress! She knew that red was his favorite color. So, had she worn it on purpose?_

 _It was then that he noticed her companion—the man she had been speaking with for a few moments. He noticed how the man's attention seemed to be fixated on her, as though he was riveted by whatever she was saying. However, Inuyasha knew very well that the moron was more focused on seeing than listening, if the trajectory of his gaze was any indication. The hanyou knew that Kagome was aware of this as well, and even if he could not hear over the crowd, he could imagine that the princess was making an excuse to leave the conversation. The strangest feeling began to well in Inuyasha's gut, as he watched her twirl her glass of amber liquid in clear agitation—Wait. There were no amber colored drinks being served, as far as he knew. Perhaps—_

" _Pervert!"_

Thus, his train of thought had been interrupted. Although one thing he had taken away from that memory was, perhaps, something he had never thought of before. Never needed to think of, seeing as both he and Kagome were only children when they had last met. It was the severity and frequency with which men of all species objectified the dark haired Princess. Himself, included.

 _No,_ he thought, _what I do isn't objectification, it's just observation… and analysis. I think._

Really? Spoke a dark recess of his mind. Weren't you picturing yourself—?

 _Ahh! Fine. Ok. Whatever. I'm a horrible person._ Kagome, despite her many faults, was not just a mindless body, and she certainly wasn't like many of the girls that Inuyasha knew. In fact, he had probably never met anyone as compassionate as she was. Thinking back to one of the rare times in their childhood that the two had actually agreed on something and decided to sneak out of the palace after their parents had attempted to force them into dance lessons, Inuyasha recalled how they had stumbled upon the hut of a half-demon named Jinenji. Unlike himself, the giant hanyou did not resemble humans, making the burden of hatred that all hanyou bared much worse. The silver haired man also recalled his astonishment when Kagome had fearlessly walked up to the hulking man and innocently inquired what his fields were planted with. She then spent the remainder of the day, until sundown, making conversation with the man as though he was any other human.

It was then that he noticed that his stride had broken and at some point he had stopped walking, too lost in thought to realize. Inuyasha then looked up, expecting to see the familiar doors that led into his bedchambers, but instead found himself facing the entrance to the royal family's private library. It was by this point that the rest of his senses had begun to awaken, making him aware of the smell that saturated the air. He subsequently realized what he was doing here. He had unconsciously followed the scent. Followed her.

Venturing further inside the darkened hall, he might have missed the figure in the large armchair by the window if it wasn't for his demonic sight. Silently debating as to whether he should wake her up or simply have someone come in and get her, his body seemed to be ahead of his mind. He found himself moving towards the light, the serene darkness of the library cut only by a few faint streaks of moonlights coming through the windows. He was unsure when Kagome had left the party, but judging from the fully burnt candle next to her, it had been sometime.

Involuntarily, Inuyasha felt a surge of frustration wash over him. There she was, lying horizontally across the large chair, her hair askew and a book the size of his head threatening to slip from her nimble fingers. _How can anyone be this clueless?_ , he thought as he brought his hand up to his forehead and released what was probably his hundredth sigh this night. Surely even she knew that it was unsafe for her to be alone here, and in such a defenseless state.

The prince's mind couldn't help but shift to the many guests that were still lingering in the ballroom and halls. Although the rational part of his mind reasoned that this library was private, thus no guest could enter this section of the castle, he didn't want to think about what could have happened had she been found by a guard on patrol, or a passing servant.

Roughly grinding his teeth, the hanyou called her name in an effort to wake her up and lecture her. Once, twice, and yet she simply refused to awaken. Sleepy and exasperated, he took a step closer to her form. Curiously, he found that the scent that usually overwhelmed his senses when Kagome was nearby had dimmed. Perhaps it was because she was asleep?

"Oi, stupid. If you're tired then go sleep in your room." His hand involuntarily nudged her shoulder. However, that simple brush gave Inuyasha some startling information. Her breathing was shallow, and her pulse was slower than normal. It was almost too slow. Panic began to seize him as he bent down and placed two fingers on the pulse point on her neck, only to find that her skin had become chilled, and she had shown no response to his voice or his touch.

"Kagome. Kagome!" The knot in his heart tightened slightly, and just as he turned to call out for assistance and a medic—A shadow. Of a man.

Despite dreading leaving Kagome for even a moment, Inuyasha's feral side had become predominant, resulting a menacing growl escaping his throat. The sound seemed to startle the intruded, who seemingly had been biding his time, maybe hoping that Inuyasha would leave or let down his guard enough for the man to knock him unconscious. While under normal circumstances he would be positively giddy at the prospect of killing such a beautiful man, today his mission was simply to take the girl and escape with no one the wiser. The dog demon was a complication.

However he had no more time to think as his complication had noticed he was there, and subsequently, launched straight in his direction. Deciding that a tasteful retreat was in order, the intruder grabbed his package and bounded towards an open window.

Seeing red, Inuyasha only just managed to reach the window before the man, dresses in black with a purple scarf, could jump. With the speed and agility only a demon could possess Inuyasha reached his hand out the window, but instead of tearing through flesh like he intended his claws barely managed to tear away a piece of material from whatever the intruder was carrying.

Gazing at the figure disappearing into the shadows with pure hatred, the hanyou prince briefly considered pursuing the man, but ultimately decided against it. Kagome was more important.


End file.
